Monday, 01 November 2010

Never critique a movie you haven't seen: How T-Mobile at T5 is a triumph of execution over strategy

so you've seen the above already ... T-Mobile's latest real-people-crowd-mob-activation-engagement thing, which took place at Heathrow's Terminal 5 not too long ago. big thanks to Laura for sending it in my direction.

I've had two totally separate conversations about this activity. the first was on Saturday, where in a discussion about T-Mobile's latest effort my general line of observation was along the lines of 'yeah but they've pretty much done that now ... where can they possibly go? ... they're in danger of becoming a one-trick pony - I fear I may have even gone as far as to use the phrase 'jumped the shark'.

my thinking was that it all sounded rather a bit much. a tactical idea that started - brilliantly - at Liverpool Street a couple of years ago is now being stretched just a little too thin. been there, seen T-Mobile doing that. singing to people as they arrive at Heathrow. really T-Mobile? really?!

the second conversation I had about the effort was this afternoon. a full six hours after I actually took three minutes out of my life to watch the above video of the effort. it would seem that Mark Kermode - who says never critique a movie you haven't seen - is totally right...

strategically this is a tactical activation re-imagined in a new time and place. strategically this is an inside-out TV ad and not a lot more. strategically this is a PR platform that engages relatively few people in the actual experience. strategically we should all be really very over this already.

only I'm not over it. I happen to adore this tactical replay of a PR-led inside out TV ad.

I adore it because of the dedication and effort to make it executionally so polished. because of the realness and authenticity of people's reactions. and because it's a piece of communication that reflects a genuinely positive aspect of the human condition.

strategically this shouldn't work. but in execution, it delivers in spades. a strategic one-trick pony it may be, but as ponies that do a trick go, you've got to admit its a pretty good one...